The battle of quality and quantity on OTT: Will it be a case of too much?

That there is an OTT boom in the country, can’t be denied and it is something that has been propelled by the ongoing pandemic as well. As a result, there is a barrage of content which is on offer for viewers on a regular basis as well as a spike in the number of OTT platforms. But amid all this over flow of content, will quality, which is the highlight and main selling point of the OTTs, take a hit?

Actor Pankaj Tripathi, a known name in the OTT circuit thanks to his projects such as Mirzapur and Sacred Games and Criminal Justice, admits that there is a concern about quality control.

“But the audience does it beautifully. They control the quality and that is the beauty of OTT. The easier it is to tune on to it, the easier is it for you to exit from it. The audience is very smart and they know what is interesting and what they want to watch and what they don’t want to watch,” shares Tripathi, who is also happy that even with so much on offer, his characters have remained etched in the minds of the viewers.

“At a time when there is so much content being flooded, people still remember my characters between seasons. That only goes on to prove my point further,” he adds.

Worried about it getting to the phase where there is just too much content, actor Saurabh Sachdeva feels that maintaining quality is going to pose a huge challenge.

“That is going to be very difficult because pehle bahut kuchh cut hota tha and hum abhi bahut kuchh dekhne lage hain. I hope that it does not become a whole mess and that is what I am scared of a bit. Otherwise , I feel if done well it can be a great platform for the actors for many, and people can earn money and fame,” shares the actor.

A recent finding by PricewaterhouseCoopers or PwC also states that India is currently the world’s fastest growing OTT (over-the-top streaming) market, and is all set to emerge as the world’s sixth-largest by 2024. For actor Sikander Kher this is a rather welcome move and not something to be concerned about.

“There is room for a lot and that OTT is still and up and coming in the country. The audience is enjoying and so are the actors, directors and writers and I don’t think that there is a saturation point yet and I feel that there is priority still given to content and quality,” explains Kher, who has starred in web projects such as Aarya and the Mum Bhai. 

Too much or not, it sure is a great time for actors and they clearly are enjoying it . “As an actor I think I am not complaining about that too much quantity of work. Plus I think viewers have the button in their hand if they don’t find anything up to the mark then they can change it anytime they want. You have to be good at what you are doing,” shares Aahana Kumra.

Even Sayani Gupta agrees. “I don’t see it as a massive issue given how OTT s have become such an important aspect of our lives. Amid these times, it is a necessity and the more the merrier, I feel. There is absolutely no worry as to too much quantity and may be in another few months but right now it is fine,” says the Four More Shots Please! and Inside Edge actor.